US to expand military training for Ukraine

The Pentagon has said it is preparing to “expand” its training of Ukrainian forces, noting the instruction would focus on different types of weapons and maneuvers. While the US has sought to accelerate its shipment of Abrams main battle tanks to Kiev, training on that platform has yet to begin.

Speaking to reporters for a background briefing on Tuesday, a senior defense official said that in addition to a newly approved weapons package worth more than $2.6 billion, Washington has also “expanded US-led training” to focus on “combined arms and joint maneuver operations.”

Though the official provided few details on the new training, they noted that 4,000 Ukrainian troops had recently completed instruction on the US-made Bradley fighting vehicle and the Stryker armored personnel carrier, both of which have been supplied to Kiev. Since fighting with Russia kicked off last year, the Pentagon has trained more than 7,000 soldiers in total, many of them in Germany, the official added.